WHILE I’M WAITING!

⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Galatians chapter 6, verses 9 and 10; from the New Living Translation (NLT)

How well do you handle “waiting”? Waiting is just another part of living on this third rock from the sun. It happens every day. We find ourselves waiting for someone or something. Me??? Well, it just depends on my mood at the time. That ought to tell us something about our feelings! Traffic lights, doctor’s offices, at the drive-thru lane, while seated at a restaurant, the cable repair technician–and the worst of all–waiting for the next available customer service representative. But that’s just trivial stuff–though it doesn’t feel like it at the time.

No, I speaking about the current quandary in the United Methodist Institution and that Paragraph 2553. For those not in our Tribe, it defines how to disaffiliate from what has become nefarious. Annual Conferences have defined a process in order to be set free from what can only be described by me as the twenty first century Titanic. Many of my Wesleyan-hearted sisters and brothers have finished the process and have been granted freedom. Well, except those 3 in the Arkansas Annual Conference. (Read my satirical take on that situation here) And there are still many others, like myself, waiting for the moment we can leave Egypt.

So, what do we do when we are waiting in this season of disaffiliation? Well, we can do what we do when waiting at a traffic light. We can fret and stew. Then stew and fret; as if that will make the light change quicker. Lord knows I’ve done a lot of that–not just at traffic lights but while I’m sitting in this quagmire. But I’ve noticed I’m not the only one fretting and stewing. Now, my fellow Wesleyan Hearted friends who are fretting and stewing, don’t be offended at what I am about to write. I’m directing it at me as much as I am you. What good has been accomplished by all our fretting and stewing–anger and frustrations?

It has achieved as much as fretting and stewing changes a traffic light, or for the nurse to call us back to the examining room. Absolutely nothing positive–but it has done a lot of harm to us and the people around us! But The Spirit has given me something else to do until December 10 when hopefully I will be set free. It happened Saturday morning as I was sitting on my front porch doing my usual morning worship time. I have my favorite playlists, but Saturday morning–for some reason unknown to me but known to The Holy Spirit–I allowed my app to select some music.

It sounded unfamiliar at the time to me–but it also sounded familiar at the time. Crazy, huh? Oh, you want to know the name of the song. It was While I’m Waiting written and sung by John Waller. I looked it up, and found out why it sounded familiar. It was in the soundtrack of the movie Fireproof. It was the chorus of this powerful song that reminded me that God wanted me to do something in the waiting other than fretting and stewing. And it’s what we all need to do. Here are the lyrics to the chorus:

While I’m waiting I will serve You
While I’m waiting I will worship
While I’m waiting I will not faint
I’ll be running the race even while I wait

by John Waller; © Capitol CMG Publishing, Songs Of Mojo, LLC

Wesleyan Hearted friends. These are the 4 things God wants of us in this season of waiting–and in EVERY season of life. Serve Him. Worship Him. Don’t faint! And keep on running the race, even while we wait. It will do a lot more for us than fretting and stewing. It has definitely helped my perspective. And who knows–maybe it will do something for another person who is waiting. And here’s the song:

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WHEN LIFE PUTS YOU ON HOLD!

Have you ever felt like your life has been put on hold? You know, like when trying to talk to someone at the utility department; or getting an attorney to call you back AFTER you’ve paid them their retainer (no, I haven’t been charged with a crime or being sued!). Well, that was me yesterday. And I must be honest with you–I didn’t handle it very well. Unless, you consider getting impatient handling it well. And this morning, here is the Passage that The Spirit put me to mind:

²⁵ At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him ²⁶ and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, ²⁸ Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
    as you have promised.
³⁰ I have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared for all people.
³² He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
    and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Luke chapter 2, verses 25 thru 32; from the New Living Translation (NLT)

What? A verse from the Bible that’s all about Advent and Christmas? Preacherman, don’t you know it’s not the right season? Let’s take a quick detour before I get back to today’s reflective thoughts. Where is the rule that states you can’t read about The Incarnation except during Advent and Christmas? It must be some “unwritten” rule because I ain’t found it yet! Talk about how culture influences us the wrong way! Geez, Louise! OK, back to the main highway.

Being put on hold is annoying and frustrating. I don’t know what consultant told them that elevator music would calm the caller down–but they lied. But then there’s that voice: “All of our customer service representatives are busy handling other calls. Please remain on the line and the next available customer service representative will be with you.” Oy vey!!! And there are moments, times, and situations where it seems that life–even God, Himself–has put your life on hold.

Maybe it’s the impending divorce. Waiting to recover from surgery. The upcoming court date. And if you’re a Tribal Member of the United Methodist Institution, it’s the waiting to be set free. Yesterday it felt like I was on hold for hours–but it wasn’t. And that attorney? After 5 calls, she returned my call. But if you are waiting, then think about Simeon. God promised him that he would see The Messiah before he died. Simeon never wavered; at least as far as we know. He was steady and steadfast; being put on hold didn’t change his mind about God’s faithfulness. Let me say this again: The waiting did not change Simeon’s mind nor heart about the faithfulness of God!

Need more than one example? Abraham and Sarah were put on hold 40 years for the birth of Isaac. Rebekah was put on hold 25 years for the birth of Jacob and Esau. Joseph was put on hold 13 years. Moses was put on hold 40 years to lead the Hebrews out of slavery–as a sheepherder for his father-in-law. Caleb and Joshua was put on hold 40 years before entering The Promised Land–even though they believed and trusted God. David was put on hold 15 years to be crowned a king. And even after The Resurrection, the disciples were put on hold 50 days before the Holy Spirit arrived to live in them!

What I’m telling you, and what I had to tell myself again and again yesterday–life doesn’t put us on hold indefinitely, nor forever. God is faithful! Just don’t give up! And if you need a song to sing instead of listening to that God-awful elevator music, try this one on for size: